Beware—Do not miss out on this talented trio as meaningful box-office draws.

TUBES/BE-BOP DELUXE/English rockers Be-Bop Deluxe opened for Frisco's The Tubes 25 April at The Beacon. Be-Bop excelled despite horrendous sound difficulties in a sea of muddy noise. It is clear that guitarist Bill Nelson is earmarked for future stardom, but this act needs a big break. The Tubes encountered difficulties as well. After a smooth overture/opening numbers, lengthy time delays ensued while leader Fee Waybill made change of dress resulting in edgy fans calling out rashities. Outspoken Tubes countered with ill-timed and unwise retaliation aimed at herb-consuming front rows. The Tubes will have to rethink audience rapport situations like this in the future to ensure benevolent vibes which they so desparately need in this crucial stage of their career . . . for this writer, Be-Bop stole the show.

BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS/Jamaica's top group performed four SRO shows 30 April/1 May at the Beacon. Marley and his band drew heavily from their new studio LP `Rastaman Vibrations' and could do no wrong as an appreciative crowd responded heavily. The low point of the shows was a 'heavy sell' on stage by a fast-talking, record promoting, emcee who would not have been out of place in a late fifties R&B quick-package revue. Stuff like this might go down big in places like Arkansas today, but NYC audiences are sophisto for this kind of shit. Marley—learn your lesson r well!

GALLAGHER & LYLE/ROBERT PALMER/It was a total Great Britain night at The Bottom Line 20-21 April as Scottish tunesmiths opening for slick Robert Palmer. Duo's tight five-piece backup band provided excellent backdrop for their singles-orientated songs which pleased the SRO house to no end. Their famous track 'Breakaway' highlighted. Legend-in-his-own-time Spencer Davis was on hand for Palmer's NYC premiere. Palmer. topnotch British R&B vocalist, brought his all-american sixpiece into town and scored heavily with jos-stick crowd, and his reggae and soul-styled numbers. The amount of sheer funk in this man's voice is amazing and his uncanny and original vocal abilities and sinfectious stage movements should raise the level of consciousness about this guy immensely. A great show!

OTHER SHOWS OF NOTE: Ravi Shankar at the Bottom Line 25 April/Sutherland Bros. and Quiver for two nights 30 April/ I May at My Father's Place in Roslyn, L.I.—this club is commencing with 'reggae night' shortly; every Monday will feature live talent in this field and some top names are already booked like Martha Velez/Third World/The Shakers/Joe Higgs etc.

. . .Your ace-Teutonic record reviewer, Krumpett heard an advance copy of new Triumvirat LP: "Old Loves Die Hard", which features recently enlarged band, as English newcomer vocalist Barry Palmer, essentially an unknown, added to ranks to add strength to overall unit output as Triumvirat strive for the top ranks of touring bands in the USA. Their new LP must be the best-ever by a German band and the production is immaculate . . . We are all looking forward to the revealing of dates on the up-coming Gentle Giant July tour of the States.

BRITISH EXTRAVAGANZA WEEKEND/Within the space of three days, 8-http://www.ratw.com/May, the NYC area was beseiged by three of England's top raver .1 outfits. Irish heavies Thin Lizzy made their local premiere at The Place in Dover, NJ. It is evident that, after initial respnses are out from the opening dates on their current tour of North America, The Lizzies have joined the ranks of the top UK touring outfits. This band has matured on stage and sound problems are a thing of the past. Phonogram, Inc. is cashing-in on their increased popularity with extensive consumer-orientated promotion/`Chappo' Chapman and Streetwalkers managed to get out to Jersey to catch Lizzy in action after Roger's laryngitis caused cancellation of Streetwalkers second eve of a two-day My Father's Place stint 8/9 May. Streetwalkers' new LP 'Red Card' is perhaps the best gutsy rock LP, since Boxer's 'Below The Belt'. On the Saturday gig, Streetwalkers were in rare form back for their second USA tour. Vibes on this outfit are very auspicious and their future looks rosy indeed. The band have reportedly been banned from further performances at The Bottom Line, local beanery-cum-night club, after lubricated Chappo slammed mike stand into the front rows back on their first tour. As it transpired, certain record company luminiaries were on-hand from another label and were messed up a wee bit. This

happened on the same night that Chappo, after finishing off their first number, spied a patron in the front rows, grumbled out, "ho's got the nicest suit on tonight?' and

promptly unloaded his glass of whiskey onto this poor soul—aah, the gentle graces of the British! The third British act hitting the area was maniac throwback Dr. Feelgood. Andy Warhol turned out for local lads opening the for Dr., The Ramones, local Sweet imitation Nazi-rock fourpiece. This punk group draws upon such niceties as distortedly high volume, feedback, and a sense of bad taste, and other trix as they slammed their way through nearly all originals, none longer than 21/2 minutes duration. Tom Verlaine of local band Television was spotted with pad in hand obviously nicking lix from Wilco. Both The Ramones and The Feelgoods are building their careers on a calculated cult following; however, The Ramones are just a wee bit more demented than Lee Brilleaux of the 'Goods' openly phallic stage goofs. Cries of 'turn it down' permeated the Ramones' set and thoughts of 'sick Slade' and 'demento-Quo' filled this writer's mind. However, with all their drawbacks, The Ramones seem likely to break through if repeated touring and heavy ABC promo ensues. This band has what it takes in these changing and difficult times to make meaningful

impact. However, it was Dr. Feelgood who took the honors. Wilco Johnson, marionette-like axeman was in a particularly fine fettle, zooming and strutting about the stage, chopping out his Dave Edmunds-style rockabilly/blues lix. In their first-ever NYC appearance, the group weaved their way through short crowd-pleasing tunes like 'Goin' Back Home', in which Brilleaux, terribly soiled sportcoat and all, went to his knees, then his back for an electrifying harp solo; other faves were 'Another Man', `Dontcha Just Know It'. 'She Does it Right' and 'Roxette'. Plagued by sound problems, the Feelgoods brought down the house anyway. Even tho' it is reported that the Feelgood management is not all that thrilled with the push/sales that CBS are garnering for the band, they gave it their all and we will be more than happy to see them back soon. Wilco Johnson during the last number, pulled off nine Pete Townshend 'haymakers' in succession which topped off their entertaining set—needless to say this brought the stiff Line audience to their feet . . . 'til later .. .

MANHATTAN MADNESS by 'Krumbs' Krumpett

MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS The final curtain came down recently for the British multimedia ensemble and their three-week run at The City Center. Highlights of the season included one George Harrison appearing in the "Lumberjack Song" skit as one of the Mounties in the choir. As you will recall, Harrison produced the second British single version of this song for Charisma UK release in 1975. Show-stopping skits also standing out were "World Forum," "Travel Agent", "Ministry of Silly Walks", "Dead Parrot", Terry Gilliam's marvelous animations which allowed for extensive costume switching, the new piece "The Church Police' and Neil Innes', ex-Bonzos, spots which featured his ditties 'I'm The Urban Spaceman' and 'How Sweet to Be an Idiot'. A 'live' LP has already been issued locally by Arista who were originally slated to issue the import "Live at Drury Lane Theatre"; however the firm opted to record in New York City for fresher and more recent material. Their rush-release goes down in the annals of productions as one of The Quickies!

SANTANA/DAVID SANCIOUS & TONE/Carlos Santana and his five musicians sold out the Beacon Theatre for two shows 7 May. Saddled with problematic sound throughout their 90 minute set, Santana meandered their way through safe, commercial single-orientated trax and their own brand of electrified ethnic-folk-music/salasa. Carlos, after all of the mysticism surrounding himself and McLaughlin's inspirational devotions turned out to be mostly just crap, was costumed with a summer beach outfit and was merely `ho-hum' on guitar. The group won a very easy encore. However, stealing the evening's accolades were newcomers David Sancious and Tone, an extremely inventive and refreshing heavy trio in the style of ELP/Zep/Hendrix. Sancious is truly a gifted instrumentalist of the first water as are his sidemen. Their heavy-metal brand of Crimsoid-type jazz/rock, as well as virtusoso solo blowing, stole the show. Opening the set on an array of keyboards, Sancious moved over to double-necked guitar midway and wowed the appreciative crowd with riffs that Page and

McLaughlin would have considered tasteful. Due to time allowance, Tone could not acknowledge their standing ovation with encores. Bookers

News You Can Use Danny Schecter • News Dissector

IS PROGRESSIVE FM RADIO DEAD?

Just about, argue Steve Chapple, Robert Garolfalo and Joel Rogers in the current issue of MOTHER JONES, the new San Francisco Mag. The authors criss-crossed the country listening to FMers. Their audio-tripping convinced them that commercial pressures have driven most of the spontaneity, spunk and counter-cultural commitments off of the radio dial. While a few stations retain some integrity and political freedom, most have forfeited any claim to being progressive. The tendency to drop the label "progressive" and substitute "A.O.R." (Album Oriented Radio) merely confirms and christens the trend. It is a provocative, if somewhat dated article which includes some detailed information on how to start your own radio station. Meanwhile, a group of former radio workers as Washington D.C.'s WGTB-FM are fighting against a decision

by license-holder Georgetown University to pull the plug on Alternative Radio. The former staff members were locked out in what the Student Press Law Center calls part of 'a national epidemic' of restrictions on student newspapers and radio stations. The old WGTB had committed the crime of serving the entire Washington community with alternative news and features. PROCTOR & BERGMAN and luminaries of the local music scene played at a benefit for The Committee To Save Alternative Radio.

MUSIC BIZ READING

Highly recommended is "STAR-MAKING MACHINERY" by Geoffrey Stokes (Bobbs-Merill, $8.95) an inside look at how one band's music is shaped, controlled and sold in America. It's the story of Commander Cody and his lost Planet Airmen in their non-ozone reality; detailing the ways in which a band

records and is 'handled' by the music industry. The book is an important corrective for the groupie-genre of rock criticism offering as Dave Marsh tells us in ROLLING STONE, the story "of those for whom rock is a job much like any other, a constant battle to stay ahead of the landlord and the grocer" . . . Folk Music enthusiasts will find "THE FOLK MUSIC SOURCEBOOK" (Alfred A. Knopf, $7.95) by Larry Sanberg and Dick Weissman a very useful guide and anthology, offering annotated discographies of every type of available folk music, and references for finding hundreds of song books, instructional manuals as well as festivals, films, etc. It's a Yellow Pages for folkies. I was touched by one of Larry Sanberg's observations which we shouldn't lose, even as we Rock around the world:

. . .We live in a world filled with

noise of machinery. Our

environment teaches us not to listen; the sharp ears of the hunter are a disadvantage in modern urban society. Our apartments truly keep us apart; they are filled with expensive phonographs and tape recorders, and we use them to create walls of sound to shut out the noise of the machinery and of our neighbors as they build their own walls of sound. We build more and more walls in more and more and more ways. and grow even more lonely within them."

He might add, that we often can grow even more disconnected from the pain and passions of a world in need of change. That's why I am doing this column, with news that we can use. If you have items to share, send them to me at WBCN, 5005 Prudential Tower, Boston, Ma 02199. Danny Schecter • News Dissector ■